City skipper Wes Morgan has vowed that the Foxes will be ready to hit the ground running when their Barclays Premier League season gets under way.

The Football League Champions have been handed a testing start to their first top-flight season in 10 years – they host Everton on the opening day before a trip to Chelsea and a home game against Arsenal.

But Morgan, who led the Foxes to promotion with a Club record 102 points last season, reckons it’s a start to look forward to, rather than one to be feared.

He said: "On paper I’m sure people will see it as a tough start, but we’re coming into the new season with good momentum, so you could argue it’s the ideal time to be playing those sides.

"You can’t look too far ahead. Ultimately, you’ve got to play everyone twice and there will be ups and downs throughout the season, so for me it’s an exciting way for us to start. Hopefully we can hit the ground running.

"I was on a flight when the fixtures were released, so I was a bit late catching up with the news but I’ve seen them now and there’s so much to look forward to.

"We’ve all worked hard to get to the Premier League, it’s where every player wants to be, so you can’t help but be excited by the names on that fixture list."

Newly-promoted City may well be underdogs heading into their opening sequence of fixtures, with a tricky trip to Stoke City and a visit from Louis Van Gaal’s Manchester United also on the horizon.

But Morgan insists his team will be positive from the start as they look to establish themselves in one of the biggest leagues in world football: "We’ll be aiming to make the most positive start we can. You can never guarantee that you’re going to pick up points anywhere; you’ve just got to be positive and try to win as many points as possible.

"We’ll have to prepare well, that goes without saying, so I’m sure the boys will be right at it from the start of pre-season."

And 24-year-old playmaker Danny Drinkwater says the progressive approach the Club is planning to its return to the Premier League after a 10-year absence was a key factor in him committing his extremely promising future to the City cause.

He said: "It’s a club moving forward and I wanted to reflect that in the length of time I’m going to be here.

"The club has made it clear to all of us that we’re aiming to establish ourselves in the Premier League and ultimately aim for the higher reaches of it, so I’m delighted I’ll have a chance to be part of that.

"You want to be playing for a club with ambition and a Club moving forward."